Digital Television Conversion

Facts And Benefits Of Digital Television Conversion

2010-02-09T09:53:00.007-05:00

It's been since June 13th, 2009 that the US went to digital television conversion. Here are some facts and benefits to ponder. It has allowed stations to offer improved picture and surround sound especially for home theater users. It has expanded programming choices for viewers. For example, a broadcaster will be able to offer multiple digital programs simultaneously. Some of the spectrum can now be auctioned to companies that will be able to provide consumers with more advanced wireless services (such as wireless broadband). It has freed up parts of the broadcast spectrum for public safety communications (police/fire/rescue).
A broadcaster will now be able to offer multiple digital programs simultaneously.

Digital Television Conversion is an advanced broadcasting technology that replaces over-the-air broadcasting. Digital broadcasting allows stations to offer improved picture and sound quality along with a host of other advantages over analog broadcasting.

For example, rather than being limited to providing one analog program, a broadcaster is able to offer a super sharp High Definition digital program or multiple Standard Definition digital programs at the same time. Digital television conversion offers many advantages over analog television for viewing broadcast TV.

A broadcaster also can use its digital television signal to provide video and data services that are not possible with analog technology. Full-power television stations serving every market in the U.S. are delivering digital programming.

If you have a digital TV set, you will need an antenna to receive over-the-air digital broadcast programming. However if you have an analog TV set, a digital converter box must be connected between the antenna and the analog TV to receive and display over-the-air digital programming. If you are connected to cable you will not need an antenna.

Digital Television Conversion Extension Date Fails In Congress

2009-01-30T23:38:00.010-05:00

The bill to extend the date for digital television conversion failed to be passed in the House Of Representatives on Wednesday January 28th, leaving millions of people in rural areas without converter boxes and a shortage of Government coupons to help with the cost. This is unfortunate.
I didn't think that the coupon program was a good idea in the first place, (more Government spending) but after thinking about it, I did conclude that it is sort of an unfunded mandate, and puts a burden on people who can't afford the digital television conversion box. Now it seems that the Government can't keep up with the demand for coupons, and the people who do not have their box by February 17th will be left out in the cold with no contact with the outside world except for radio. Congress and the President should rethink their decision and allow more time.
If the US is to continue to be the leading technological nation, then why is Congress and the President shutting the rural population out from information via television? Think about it.

Possible Delay In Digital Television Conversion

2009-01-08T13:19:00.003-05:00

There may be a delay in the national transition to digital television and digital television conversion that is scheduled to take place on Feb. 17th of this year. President elect Obama and Congress my delay digital television conversion by a few months because of problems with the transition.

It seems that the problem is being blamed on the federal communications commission that could result in millions of analog television viewers who are not connected to cable unable to get a digital signal. The problem is a backlog in the Federal coupon program that offers coupons to analog TV owners to offset the cost of a digital television conversion box that will be required to get a digital television signal. The National Telecommunications & Information Administration announced that they had hit the funding ceiling for the coupon program and that new applications would have to be put on hold unless the ceiling were raised or the ADA rule preventing it from spending money to be freed up by expired coupons was waived. According to Congressman Ed Markey, " With the date looming, moving the date back certainly warrants further discussion and may be a wise choice."

The Obama FCC transition team is considering moving up the date. Consumers Union has suggested a move up of four months or so according to CU senior counsel Chris Murray. Murray told CNBC that he thought there was a "reasonably good chance" that Congress would push the date up four months or so.

U.S. Government Converter Box Program

2008-08-13T13:05:00.005-04:00

The U.S. Government has established the digital-to-analog converter box coupon program which began accepting applications in January 2008. Every U.S. household can receive up to two coupons worth $40 each toward the purchase of converter boxes. The coupons can only be used for eligible boxes sold at participating retailers and will expire ninety days after the time of mailing. You will need one converter box per analog TV.
Your current antenna or "rabbit ears" should continue to work, so do not be talked into buying new antennas that are marked "digital ready" or "HD ready", you do not need them. Below is a partial list of participating retailers in the U.S. Government converter box program:

Radio Shack
Best Buy
Circuit City
Home Theater Specialists Of America
Tweeter
CERC

Digital Television: Why The Conversion

2008-07-17T12:02:00.007-04:00

On February 17, 2009 television stations will begin broadcasting digital TV signals only. The reason for the change according to experts is that a digital signal will free up parts of the broadcast spectrum to leave room for public safety communications and to auction off parts of the broadcast spectrum for private companies to provide more advanced wireless services to the consumer.
Because digital is more efficient than analog, broadcasters will be able to offer a better picture and sound quality including HD and SD (standard definition) at the same time (multicasting).
If you have an analog television and want to use it to watch broadcast TV stations, you will need to buy a digital converter box and install it by February 17, 2009 or you can choose to watch TV online. Just a side note: I have an old 80's model Sanyo that I plan to use just to play VHS video tapes. I have a large collection of movies that I haven't converted to DVD. If you have a subscription service such as cable or satellite you will not need a digital converter box. Don't let someone sell you one.
One drawback that I see with the digital tv transition will be the use of battery powered portable televisions used in emergencies when electricity is lost as the result of hurricanes and other inclement weather. Battery powered TVs will still need digital TV converters to get a signal. The converter will still need a power source. Battery powered portable digital televisions are coming onto the market, but the one that you bought at Home Depot last year will be useless during a power failure.

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2008-07-16T12:37:00.007-04:00

Updated April 2009

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